In plant development, selective breeding or genetic manipulation are used to make genetic improvements in plants. After a desirable improvement is achieved, commercial quantities are produced by planting and harvesting seeds over several generations. Breeding for enhanced agricultural products involves analysis of a large number of samples from plants to identify those plants with the desired properties for use or advancement to the next generation. For example, analysis of bulk seed batches for certain traits, such as high oil content or protein content, on a single plant or ear, in conjunction with an appropriate breeding methodology such as recurrent selection, often allows for the selection and introduction of such traits into a commercial population. Although the analysis of these seed batches can be performed by various techniques, methods that are rapid and low cost are most desirable.
As agricultural companies continue to introduce a variety of traits into agricultural crops that provide unique compositions and increasing value to the grain and/or its downstream products, there is an increasing need for more sophisticated analysis systems and methods for detecting the traits throughout the value chain, i.e., research and development, seed production, grain production, and grain processing.